Nigeria: Two Suspected Kidnappers Killed in Shootout With Police

The Edo State Police Command Sunday burst a notorious ring of kidnappers in Benin City, killing two suspects during an exchange of gunfire between members of the gang and the police.

Six of the suspects were arrested, while cache, of arms including three pumps action guns were recovered from the suspects.

The incident, it was gathered, occurred around Ugbowo area after a 70-year-old man, who went out for jogging was abducted by the suspects.

The gang, who came with an Audi vehicle, forced the man into the booth of the car and drove off to their hideout where they met their waterloo when the police came after them.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Commissioner, Foluso Adebanjo, said the incident occurred at about 6a.m. and that his men went to rescue the man, following a tip off to the hideout of the kidnappers.

"Early this morning at about 6a.m, they hoodlums came with an Audi vehicle and abducted this 70-year-old man around Ugbowo. They put in him in the booth of Audi and drove off.

"Information got to me, so I quickly directed our anti-kidnapping team to carry out a raid in that area. Our vehicle was parked far away to the hideout, so they trekked to the scene.

"One of them must have observed that it could be policemen and shouted. So they started firing at us and we responded. Two of them were shot dead while six were arrested.

"None of our men sustained any injury and we thank God for that. We observed that the old man was tortured when they were forcing him to inform them where to get ransom from. Like I said earlier, we will continue to go after them," he declared.

AllAfrica publishes around 2,000 reports a day from more than 130 news organizations and over 200 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Related

Follow AllAfrica

AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 2000 news and information items daily from over 130 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Lagos, Monrovia, Nairobi and Washington DC.